This is the famous Lloyds of London building, as seen from St Mary Axe. It’s still a great building and nothing looks anything like it.
Archive for the ‘london’ Category
Great Architecture In London #5
Sunday, December 21st, 2003Great Architecture In London #4
Wednesday, December 17th, 2003
This is a view from the base of 30 St Mary Axe, also known as “The Erotic Gherkin“. Wonderful and spectacular building, in my opinion – although there is a “love it or hate it” vibe about the place. The Guardian certainly likes it…
St James’s Park
Thursday, September 25th, 2003These were taken in mid-September, back in the days when it was still Summer. We appeart to have skipped Autumn altogether and proceeded directly to Winter (do not pass Go, do not collect ?200).
So part of my lazing around day involved wandering around St James’s Park and generally sitting around in one of the deckchairs feeling hot in the sun (despite only wearing a t-shirt). As I was freezing my arse off today wearing a thick coat over my work shirt it seems like months ago… 
Great Architecture In London #3
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2003
This is the fairly magnificent Admiralty Arch, which is a gateway from the frequently gridlocked Trafalgar Square to the wide open spaces of the Mall, which leads up the the (frankly rather dull) Buckingham Palace. Rather unusually it contains office space, currently being used by the Centre for Management and Policy Studies.
The inscription above the arches reads:
ANNO:DECIMO:EDWARDI:SEPTIMI:REGIS
VICTORI?:REGIN?:CIVES:GRATISSIMI:MDCCCCX:
Which roughly means “In the tenth year of the reign of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria from a grateful nation, 1910″.
Westway
Thursday, September 18th, 2003There’s three major climbing walls in London. However, the Westway Sports Center is one of the most dramatic locations – underneath the huge flyover there are football pitches, basketball courts and the main tent-like structure that contains the climbing walls.
Bobbies on their Bikes
Tuesday, September 16th, 2003The City of London is a very old area, and as such has many little windy streets (often with really bizarre/silly/funny names). Not the kind of environment that cars in general do very well in – so it’s impressive that the City of London Police have got some of their policepeople on mountain bikes!
The only problem really is realising that they are police, despite the fairly clear labels all over the place. I wonder how many black cabs cut them up before they realise? 
Trafalgar Square Fountains
Sunday, September 14th, 2003
It’s been an amazingly lovely weekend, considering we’re well into September. It was so warm yesterday that people were cheerfully paddling in the fountains in Trafalgar Square. The recently pedestrianised north side of the Square is a really positive step, I think – entering the square is much easier and you feel as if you have much more freedom, rather than being on a large roundabout.
While I was there I went and sat underneath Nelson’s Column, which has some pretty hefty bits of sculpture below the main base:
Today has been equally lovely; shame that most of it has been spent cleaning the kitchen
The mean streets of Pimlico
Saturday, September 13th, 2003
This is John Islip Street, near where I live. Lovely place, and filled with elegant stucco-fronted houses in neat orderly lines.
Looking up at the Eye
Wednesday, September 10th, 2003The British Airways London EyeTM is, to be fair, a really excellent ferris wheel. It actually has grace and it’s such an audacious idea that you really do have to give the designers credit for their idea.
The Embankment – Early Evening
Thursday, September 4th, 2003
This is a rather nice shot of the Embankment, looking down from the main junction from Blackfriars.